Main Line home invasion part of kidnapping scheme

John Felder, a Miami, Fla., man arrested after Radnor police say he pretended to be a flower delivery driver in a home invasion attempt where he used a stun gun on a homeowner in the Villanova section.

In what police are calling a bizarre case, a 76-year-old Florida man is behind bars on allegations that he planned on kidnapping someone at a Villanova home on Nov. 7 and hold them for ransom in what was to begin as a home invasion.

Radnor Police Superintendent Bill Colarulo said John Felder, of Miami, went to a local flower shop and purchased a floral arrangement as part of a plot to carry out his kidnapping scheme.

“He even had a phony tag that said 1-800-flowers,” Colarulo told reporters during a press conference Wednesday.

But what led to the arrest of Felder was something as simple as a minor violation.

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“One of the pieces of information we had that helped lead to the suspect was a parking ticket,” Colarulo said. “When Mr. Felder went to the floral shop to purchase the arrangement, he complained about getting the parking ticket.”

Radnor police then researched tickets that were issued that day and found a link to Felder through his rental car.

Colarulo said Felder drove to the home with the flowers in a rented silver minivan, and as he handed the flowers over to the homeowner, “he reached into his pocket, pulled out a Taser and fired the Taser at the homeowner.”

One of the prongs struck the homeowner, who shut the door and called 911. Felder then fled the scene.

“Based on the investigative efforts by Detective (Jim) Santoliquito and Detective (Thomas) Schriver, they were able to identify a suspect as Mr. Felder. Their efforts even took them out to the Poconos where the defendant went to a gun show and attempted to purchase a firearm,” Colarulo said.

Felder had already been found to be a suspect and with an arrest warrant already out for him, investigators were notified when he attempted to purchase the firearm.

“We found a ransom note that indicated that Mr. Felder had planned to kidnap a victim and hold the victim for ransom,” Colarulo said. In the note, Felder said he planned on asking for specific amounts of gold coins because they would be harder to trace.

Colarulo added that in the driveway of the Villanova home police found duct tape and flex cuffs. As a result of a search warrant, police also found six cellphones, stolen license plates, night vision equipment, surveillance cameras and Tasers in Felder’s possession.

Police also reported finding a list of names of other people Felder allegedly planned to follow.

Police say they have been unable to find any past arrests for Felder and that he had recently had financial trouble and his motive was money. The list of names that Felder compiled is believed by police to be random people Felder found through websites that list property values. No other Radnor Township residents were on the list.

Felder is being held in the Delaware County prison on $175,000 bail.

Police interviewed Felder at the prison on Wednesday at his request, and he allegedly admitted he planned on kidnapping someone and holding them for ransom. Felder also told police he rented a cabin in the Poconos where he planned to hold the person he kidnapped. Felder also told police he did not intend to hurt the person he kidnapped, Colarulo said.

“Things like this are disturbing, regardless of where they occur. But in a town like Radnor Township, this is something that is not really unheard of but is something that will not be tolerated,” Colarulo said. “I’d like to commend my detectives for good old-fashioned police work and other township employees by doing their jobs — by writing a parking ticket, you never know what it might lead to.”